Groton Area School District

Congratulations to Liam Johnson for being selected the 2025 South Dakota Middle School All-State Jazz Band for the second year in a row. Liam will be the first chair alto saxophone in the top Mahon Ensemble. This year 80 students auditioned from 22 different schools in South Dakota. Out of the 22 schools, 16 will be represented at this event. Liam’s MS Band Director is Mrs. Desiree Yeigh. “If you have a dream, chase it, and if you want to accomplish this dream you must work hard at it. Nothing comes easy and nothing is impossible,” says Johnson. The South Dakota Music Education Association will present the Middle School All-State Jazz Band, taking place at the Performing Arts Center in Mitchell, South Dakota on January 31st and February 1st, and featuring two big bands directed by Dr. Erik Mahon and Mr. Ryan Stahle. The final concert is open to the public on Saturday February 1st at 3:00 pm. Tickets for the event will be $5 at the door. Students 18 and under will be free of charge. The mission of the National Association for Music Education is to advance music education by promoting the understanding and making of music by all. SDMEA is a state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education. With over 400 members, SDMEA is the largest association of instructional musicians in the state catering to the needs of band, choral, general music and orchestral teachers.

The date has been set for Groton Area's 2025 Homecoming - September 5th, 2025!

Due to the Extreme Cold Warning in effect and the forecast for dangerously cold wind chills tomorrow, the Groton Area School District will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, and OST will be closed. Be Safe. Be Warm.

This Week in Tiger Sports: Monday, the 20th: - JH/JV Wrestling @ Redfield (5:30pm) Tuesday, the 21st: - Wrestling Triangular @ Clark vs. Hamlin (6pm) - Girls Basketball vs. Northwestern (JV at 6pm, Varsity to follow) - JH Boys Basketball vs. Northwestern (7th grade @ 4pm, 8th grade @ 5pm) - JH Wrestling @ Simmons Middle School (Aberdeen - 4pm) Thursday, the 23rd: - Doubleheader @ Milbank (JV Girls @ 4pm, C Girls/JV Boys @ 5pm, Varsity Girls @ 6:30pm, Varsity Boys at 7:45pm) Friday, the 24th: - Wrestling Dual vs. Deuel (AAU @ 5:30pm, Varsity @ 6pm - arena) - Girls Wrestling @ Pierre (4pm) - JH Boys Basketball vs. Redfield (7th grade @ 4pm, 8th grade @ 5pm - old gym) Saturday, the 25th: - Wrestling @ Kingsbury County (10am) - GBB C Jamboree in Groton (10am) Good Luck Tiger Athletes!!

If you cannot make the trip to Dakota Valley today to cheer on the Boys Basketball Team, here are some links to watch the games: www.gdillive.com https://fan.hudl.com/usa/sd/north-sioux-city/organization/19940/dakota-valley-high-school C Game is at 2:00PM, JV Game is at 3:15PM, and Varsity to follow around 4:30PM. Good Luck, Tigers!!

If you cannot make the trek to the Corn Palace today in Mitchell, you can watch it online. There will be a one-time charge of $15 for the day, which will get you access to the whole slate of games for the Girls Hanson Classic. https://beavers.liveticket.tv/ or simply: beavers.liveticket.tv Game time is 4:00PM vs. Dakota Valley! Good Luck, Lady Tigers!!

Dear Groton Area Elementary Families, We are writing to inform you OST will be open on January 24. The hours of operation for that day will be 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please note that students will need to bring their own lunch. However, we will be providing two snacks throughout the day. If you plan to send your child to OST on January 24, kindly contact Jenn or the office to confirm your child's attendance. Thank you, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Sincerely, Brett Schwan

Groton Area Elementary School Family Game Night is almost here!!!

Mrs. Zoellner’s second graders have been doing an experiment since November 1. After reading the book, Pumpkin Jack, they were inspired to see the life cycle of a pumpkin. They placed their carved pumpkin, Jack, into a sealed container that had a bed of moistened soil. The pumpkin has slowly been decomposing over time with the students recording their observations each week. The pumpkin has gone through some phases, including fuzzy bright white, to darkened orange, and lately a brown blob. The stem for the most part has stayed intact. With great surprise, the second graders saw they had a seedling sprouting from it today! They lovingly named it Jackson (son of Jack). It’ll be great to see how this project inspires.

Due to Tiospa Zina not having enough boys out, there will be NO BOYS JV game on Thursday in TZ. The doubleheader schedule will be: 5:00 Girls JV 6:05 Girls Varsity 7:30 Boys Varsity Good Luck, Tigers!

This Week in Tiger Sports: Monday, the 13th: - JH/JV Wrestling in Groton (5pm) Tuesday, the 14th: - JH BB vs. Roncalli (7th grade @ 6pm, 8th grade @ 7pm) Thursday, the 16th: - Wrestling Triangular in Groton vs. Redfield and Webster (6pm) - Doubleheader @ Tiospa Zina (GJV @ 4pm, BJV @ 5pm, GV and BV to follow) Friday, the 17th: - Girls Wrestling @ Gettysburg - JH BB vs. Milbank (7th grade @ 5pm, 8th grade @ 6pm) Saturday, the 18th: - JH/JV/V Wrestling @ Potter County (10am) - BB @ Dakota Valley (C @ 2pm, JV @ 3:15, V to follow) - GB @ Hanson Classic (4pm vs Dakota Valley) Good Luck, Tigers!!

3rd grade oil pastel art and hot chocolate to end Friday afternoon!

Finn's Mission Weekend Challenge

Good Morning from Groton Area Elementary Please use the link below to register for the Kid's Heart Challenge. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the issues with the "search for school" option. https://www2.heart.org/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app30024a?company_id=503442&fr_id=11261&pg=company&NONCE_TOKEN=029604AD19A0BFAE4FF5140D003E1111 Thank you!!!

Groton Area Elementary, Kids Heart Challenge™ is HERE! Our kids will feel good by doing good, knowing they made a difference for kids just like them!

Groton Area Elementary, Kids Heart Challenge™ is HERE! Our kids will feel good by doing good, knowing they made a difference for kids just like them! • Start by downloading the AHA Schools APP or click this link to sign up http://www2.heart.org/goto/Groton_Elementary_School • Complete Finn’s Mission: learn TWO lifesaving skills as a family TONIGHT! • Become a Heart Hero: Send emails/e-cards on the website or texts via the app to invite friends and family asking for support. • This KHC info will show you how to get started and all the thank you gifts your student can earn. https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageNavigator/ym_khc_get_started_guide.html DOWNLOAD THE AHA SCHOOLS APP Any student who completes Finn’s Mission will receive their own Lifesavers cape! If we make our school goal of just 25 students completing Finn’s Mission, we will get to have a Superhero Day and can wear the capes! Thank you so much for supporting our school and the American Heart Association!

Our Hudl Camera is up and running in the Arena! You can watch all home games (and some away games, too) at the link below: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/sd/groton/organization/12097/groton-high-school or go to: 1. hudl.com 2. Search: Groton High School - Groton, SD **There is no commentary on this livestream and the scoreboard is slightly covered. Go Tigers!

It is penguin week in Mrs. Gibbs’ Kdg class, we have been learning about penguins and today we practiced walking or “waddling” like a penguin by walking while holding a football between our ankle bones!

Mrs. DeHoet’s Kindergarten class ended their 2D and 3D shape units with a Shape Sort graph. In Kindergarten sometimes it’s okay to play with our food!

Yesterday, Mrs. Gibbs engaged her students in an exciting hands-on lesson about penguins and the unique role of blubber in keeping them warm! Students explored the four layers of a penguin’s body—feathers, air, skin, and blubber—and discovered how each layer plays a crucial role in insulation. To make the learning experience memorable, Mrs. Gibbs created a "blubber glove" using Crisco shortening and zippered baggies to simulate the insulating properties of blubber while keeping students’ hands clean. The students were amazed to see how the "blubber glove" kept their hands warm when submerged in ice-cold water, bringing the concept of penguin survival to life!